Ragù alla Bolognese
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Ground beef — 400 g (14 oz)
- Pancetta, diced — 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Onion, finely diced — 1 medium
- Carrot, finely diced — 1 medium
- Celery stalk, finely diced — 1
- Tomato paste — 30 g (2 tbsp)
- Dry white wine — 125 ml (1/2 cup)
- Whole milk — 250 ml (1 cup)
- Beef or chicken stock — 250 ml (1 cup)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
Method
- Render pancetta in a heavy pot over medium heat until fat releases.
- Add onion, carrot and celery (soffritto); cook 10 minutes until softened.
- Add ground beef, breaking it up, and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, cook 2 minutes, then add wine and simmer until evaporated.
- Add milk, simmer until absorbed, then add stock; partially cover and simmer on very low heat 2.5-3 hours, adding
- more stock as needed, until rich and deeply reduced.
Cultural Background: A slow-cooked meat sauce from Bologna, ragù alla Bolognese is regulated by an official recipe deposited with Bologna's Chamber of Commerce in 1982, built on finely minced beef, soffritto, tomato and a long simmer with milk and wine, traditionally served with tagliatelle rather than spaghetti.
Tips: • The long, slow simmer is essential — a rushed ragù tastes thin and one-dimensional. • Adding milk before the tomato traditionally tenderises the meat and rounds out acidity.
Variations: • Add a small amount of chicken liver for extra richness, as in some traditional versions. • Use half pork, half beef for a more layered flavour.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months; flavour improves after a day's rest.
Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of stock or water if too thick. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 220 kcal, 14 g protein, 15 g fat, 6 g carbohydrate per 150 g serving.
FAQs: Why add milk to a meat sauce? It tenderises the meat and balances the tomato's acidity, a hallmark of the authentic Bolognese method. Is it traditionally served with spaghetti? No — tagliatelle is the traditional pasta pairing in Bologna; spaghetti Bolognese is largely an international adaptation.
- Ground beef — 400 g (14 oz)
- Pancetta, diced — 100 g (3.5 oz)
- Onion, finely diced — 1 medium
- Carrot, finely diced — 1 medium
- Celery stalk, finely diced — 1
- Tomato paste — 30 g (2 tbsp)
- Dry white wine — 125 ml (1/2 cup)
- Whole milk — 250 ml (1 cup)
- Beef or chicken stock — 250 ml (1 cup)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
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